I’ve been in the inflatable paddle board business for fifteen years, and I’ve seen thousands of boards come back to the factory for repairs. Most manufacturers won’t tell you this, but the truth is that a sharp rock or a reef rarely destroys a good board.
Most boards die a “silent death” since they are not stored properly and people don’t know how materials act when they aren’t being watched.
We use military-grade PVC and reinforced drop-stitch cores to make our Huale boards, but they are not unbreakable. There is always a weak point in every material. To keep your board riding well in its fifth summer, you need to go beyond the basics. The following tips aren’t simply “best practice”; they’re what makes the difference between a board that lasts a season and one that becomes a lifelong travel partner.
1. The Sun and Heat: Thermodynamics is Your Enemy
Thermal expansion, not a collision, is the only thing that can completely destroy a premium board in less than 30 minutes.
When paddlers end a session, I regularly see them leave their fully inflated boards on the hot sand to have lunch. This is a nightmare for a materials engineer. Our UV-resistant coatings keep colors from fading, but physics is still right: heated air expands.
The temperature inside your board rises quickly when it is in direct sunlight. That 15 PSI you pumped in the chilly morning air can easily get up to 20 or 22 PSI. This immense internal pressure impacts the glue and seams from the interior outward. If you push it too much, you could cause delamination (when the layers split) or a giant blowout.
The Expert Fix: When you’re not in the water, put the board in the shade. If there isn’t any shade, at least put a towel over it. Even better, try the “Burp Technique”: just squeeze the valve pin for a second to let out some pressure. It just takes two seconds, but it removes the tension off the seams and could preserve your board’s life.
2. Cleaning Is More Than Just a Rinse
Most people who ride their boards just pull them out of the ocean, blast them with a hose for ten seconds, and then go home. This might work for fresh water, but if you ride in the ocean, it’s a prescription for disaster.
Saltwater is dangerous. It leaves behind tiny salt crystals when it evaporates. These crystals are like thousands of tiny knives that you can’t see. Those crystals work like sandpaper when you roll up your board without washing it well. They slowly wear down the PVC coating and sealants from the inside of the roll.
My Protocol: Give your board a real “spa day” every few sessions. Use a soft sponge and a gentle soap that doesn’t have harsh chemicals that take away UV protection. The fin box and the roughness of the EVA deck pad are known for trapping dirt and bacteria, so pay extra attention to these. It’s not only about how the board appears; it’s also about keeping the material in good shape.
3. The Art of Folding: Avoid the “Dead Crease”
Even experienced paddlers make a typical mistake: they try to fold their board into a perfect, tight square, hitting the same fold lines every time.
This looks neat, but it makes the cloth wear out. Bending thick PVC back and forth at the same sharp angle over and over again will eventually make the structure weaker at that crease, just like bending a paperclip back and forth until it breaks.
A Better Way to Pack: Don’t choke your board. Instead of a tight fold, try for a “loose roll.” Start at the nose and roll it comfortably to push air out of the valve at the tail. If your trunk has room, don’t suck out every last bit of air. Leaving it slightly rounder will put less stress on the rails. And please make sure the board is completely dry before rolling. That scent like an old gym sock? Mold is eating away at the glue on your deck pad.
4. Long-Term Hibernation (The Winter Strategy)
When the weather gets colder and you’re ready to put away your gear for the season, where you keep it is very important.
You might be surprised to learn that mice and rats love the feel of PVC. I’ve seen a lot of boards that can’t be fixed since they were left in a garage corner without protection and got gnaw marks on them. You should always keep your rolled board in its bag, and it’s best to put it on a shelf or in a sealed plastic bin.
The Gold Standard of Storage: The ideal approach to store a Huale board for a long time is to keep it unrolled and gently inflated if you have room on the garage wall. Give it a form by pumping it up to about 5 PSI, which is just enough to take the pressure off the seams. This keeps the material loose and stops permanent creases from forming. If you have to roll it up, pull it out once over the winter to allow the material to breathe and unfold it.
5. Don’t Ignore the Little Black Wrench
Lastly, let’s discuss the black plastic wrench that everyone puts in a drawer and forgets about. It is not a game.
There are two sections that hold the PVC material together on the inflation valve on your board. Over time, the vibration of travel and the cycle of inflation and deflation can cause this mechanical link to dissolve. Don’t worry if you hear a tiny hissing sound at the valve. Your board is probably not punctured.
The 6-Month Checkup: When the board is flat, push your hand on the valve basket from the bottom of the board to keep it in place. To make sure the valve nut is secure, use the wrench to turn it gently to the right. This quick ten-second maintenance check fixes 90% of the “mystery leaks” that clients tell me about.
Final Thoughts
Don’t think of maintenance as a chore; think of it as taking care of the tools that let you walk on water. If you take good care of your Huale inflatable board, it will remain as stiff in year five as it was on day one.
